Remote facade inspection gantry

ABSTRACT

A facade gantry allows for close inspection of a facade using remotely operated cameras, probes, and/or sampling devices. These devices are located in a housing that is positioned in front of a facade by a system of cables, from which it is suspended, that allow for movement in any direction in a plane. Two cables are attached to the housing containing the sensors and tools and are wound onto two separate spools located on the roof at the vertical boundaries of the inspection area. By winding and unwinding these spools, the housing can be raised, lowered, and moved from side to side. The invention further has an optional “shed” located on the ground that protects pedestrians in the case of a suspension system failure. The shed moves to maintain a position directly under the housing. The gantry optionally allows for repair of the facade by using remotely operated repair tools.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/206,167,filed Jul. 8, 2016 (now, U.S. Pat. No. 10,378,935), which claimed thebenefit of the following U.S. Provisional Applications: (1) Ser. No.:62/190,214, filed Jul. 8, 2015; (2) Ser. No.: 62/193,565, filed Jul. 16,2015; and (3) Ser. No.: 62/276,218, filed Jan. 7, 2016, the contents ofeach of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention include building inspectionsystems, and more specifically, facade inspection systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Building facades are large, difficult to access and require regularinspection to ensure that they are in good condition and have notdegraded in a manner that exposes building occupants or passersby todanger. Currently, facade inspectors rely on aerial work platforms orscaffolding to position themselves close enough to the facade toadequately inspect it. The use of lifts and scaffolding is expensive,time consuming, and exposes the inspector to a fall risk. A system toallow for remote detailed inspection of facades would minimize theseproblems, reducing the cost and time needed for facade inspections aswell as eliminating the risk to workers and inspectors of injury as theywould otherwise need to work at great heights.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is a facade inspection system.

Another object of the present invention is a remote controlled facadeinspection system.

And another object of the present invention is a partially automatedfacade inspection system.

Yet another object of the present invention is a facade repair system.

Still another object of the present invention is a remote controlledfacade repair system.

And another object of the present invention is a partially automatedfacade repair system.

An embodiment of this invention allows for close inspection of a facadeusing remotely operated cameras, probes, and/or sampling devices. Thesedevices are located in a housing that is positioned in front of a façadeby a system of cables, from which it is suspended, that allow formovement in any direction in a plane. Two cables are attached to thehousing containing the sensors and tools and are wound onto two separatespools located on the roof at the vertical boundaries of the inspectionarea. By winding and unwinding these spools, the housing can be raised,lowered, and moved from side to side. In various other embodiments ofthe invention, one or more cables extend from the housing to a devicelocated on the ground. In one embodiment, cable will extend down fromthe housing to a powered “shed” located on the ground that protectspedestrians in the case of a suspension system failure. The shed movesto maintain a position directly under the housing. The cable attachingthe housing to the shed is tensioned to reduce the possibility of thehousing swinging towards or away from the facade. As the operatorsignals for the housing to move, the cables are either wound onto orunwound from the powered spools to achieve the desired housing movementand the shed moves to remain beneath the housing.

In other embodiments, one or two powered spools are located in fixedpositions on the ground and are used to aid in positioning the housingand reduce any wind-induced swaying. One or more of the cables mayoptionally also contain, carry, or function as a data and power linkthat allows for the real time transmission of sensor data and theoperation of equipment located in the housing or data transmissionbetween the housing and controller may be wireless and housing power maybe supplied by an onboard battery.

In various embodiments, tools mounted in the housing are able retrievefacade material for later analysis or use tools and sensors to probe,analyze, and/or repair the facade.

In some embodiments, the housing has the functionality of or is rigidlyattached to a quadcopter. In this embodiment, the housing can fly to thefacade from an initial suspended position, affix itself to the facadeand perform needed operations. All components are controlled by anoperator using a controller that also allows real time monitoring of thesystem. The data generated by the device can be used to create highlydetailed images and three dimensional models of the facade which canthen be analyzed to determine if there are any problems with the facadethat require repair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIGS. 1-13 show various embodiments and details of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The cable positioning system comprises two powered spools that aremounted on the roof of the building. As the housing will not be able tomove the location of the spools, they establish the vertical boundariesof the inspection area. A cable from each spool is attached to thehousing as are any necessary data and power connections. The cables arerouted through fixtures, preferably outrigger braces, that cantileverout from the face of the building and beyond any building features thatmay interfere with the movement of the housing, such as fire escapes andbalconies. By winding and unwinding cable from the pulleys, the positionof the housing in a plane that is parallel to the building facade andoffset from it a distance determined by the length of the cantileveredfixtures can be changed.

In some embodiments, there is a distinct data cable. The data cable maybe integrated with the suspension cables or may be a separate cable witha dedicated powered spool that is computer controlled to ensure anadequate but not excessive length of cable has been paid out.

Control software is able to dynamically change the rate at which eachspool either releases or retracts cable to move the housing in a mannerthat is consistent with the desired movement as input to a controller byan operator. For example, for the housing to move in the horizontaldirection while suspended below the two spools, they will have toconstantly adjust the rate at which cable is being released andretracted, while the operator will only have to indicate that ahorizontal movement is desired.

The housing encloses and provides a mounting area for tools and sensorsand protects them from adverse weather and possible collisions with thebuilding facade. The number and kind of sensors and tools inside thehousing may be varied depending on the requirements of the job.Additionally, it is easy to add and replace components to increase thefunctionality or reduce the cost of the device. In most cases, there isa video and/or still camera that allows for the remote operator tovisually inspect aspects of the facade and save image data for lateranalysis and/or the creation of three dimensional models. In variousembodiments of the invention, the cameras are mounted on a gimbal toallow for their orientation to be changed if desired by an operatorand/or are able to zoom in and out. Cameras that use wavelengths thatare not visible by humans, such as infrared, are also present in variousembodiments of the invention.

Other sensors and tools may need to be positioned very close to thefacade and move independently of the housing to perform their intendedfunction. To achieve this, in some embodiments of the invention, adevice or manipulator to position a tool is integrated with the housing.The device, possibly a small multiaxis robotic arm, is capable ofprecise movements in very close proximity to the facade. It can also beused to with tools and sensors manipulate and probe the facade surface.For example, it may position and drive a drill into the facade in orderto collect material for later analysis or to allow observation of thebehavior of the subject material to determine its properties. Otherpossible sensors requiring close proximity to the facade and a precisepositioning system include moisture sensors and borescopes.

In other embodiments of the invention, the housing has integratedpropellers, motors, and controls to allow for flight capabilities alongthe lines of existing quadcopters or the housing may be affixed to aquadcopter. In this embodiment of the invention, the housing ispositioned as described above unless the operator desires to bepositioned closer to the facade to allow for more detailed inspection orthe manipulation of facade elements. The device can enter a flight modeduring which the device is positioned solely by the use of thepropellers. While in this mode, the cables of the suspension system areslackened to allow for the free movement of the housing, but wouldprevent the device from falling to the ground in the event of a flightsystems failure.

In some embodiments, the housing incorporates devices, possiblyemploying electrostatic adhesion, that allow it to be temporarilyaffixed to the facade and act as a stable platform for observing,measuring, probing, manipulating, altering, or affecting the facade. Thesystem for temporarily affixing the device to the facade incorporatesstructural members that separate the housing from the adhesioncomponents to create a gap between the housing face and the facade wheretools and components can maneuver to achieve desired positions andconfigurations.

In some embodiments, the invention is capable of performing repairs tomitigate potential hazards. If a loose brick is observed, the device isable to affix netting to the facade to cover the brick to minimizedanger until a more substantial repair can be performed. The inventionhas the capability of using different tools to affect different repairs.The manipulator is able to change tools using a tool changing mechanismthat is affixed to the housing or, in another embodiment, the operatorwill retrieve the housing and manually attach a new tool to themanipulator. Possible end-of-manipulator tools include applicatorscapable of applying grout or tape. At the direction of the operator,either material can be applied to the façade or between facade elementsin order to stabilize a section of facade that may be in danger offalling.

As there is a risk of debris falling from the facade during bothinspection and repair work, in some embodiments of the invention, asystem to catch small pieces of falling debris is present. The systemconsists of a net that can be quickly deployed and can span the distancebetween the housing and the facade. When not needed, it is retracted andstored in a manner that reduces the likelihood of it interfering with orcatching on any part of the facade while the device is operating. Whenstored it also minimizes the force exerted by wind on the device.

When hoisting or suspending heavy materials from buildings in busy urbanareas, the possibility of an unintended release of material needs to beaccounted for. A temporary roof structure called a sidewalk shed isoften constructed to shelter pedestrians from falling objects. Thesesheds are large and take time and money to erect. In various embodimentsof this invention, there is a small, powered shed able to travel thelength of the facade along the sidewalk to maintain a position directlybeneath the housing. In various embodiments, a third powered cable spoolwill be mounted on this shed and a cable will extend from it up to thehousing. This third cable will allow for the distance between thehousing and the facade to be fixed as it eliminates a degree of freedomor movement which increases stability of the housing and its associatedsensors and tools. This third cable may also contain, carry or functionas a power and data link to allow for the transmission of housinglocation information to the shed and data and power as needed.

In various embodiments of the invention, the shed is not present and oneor more powered spools are located on the ground with cables that areconnected to the housing. These will act to reduce the possibility ofhousing movement towards or away from the facade and aid when thehousing is directed to be positioned towards the boundaries of the planein which it can move.

The devise is operated using a controller that allows for a human todirect the housing motion and the operation of sensors and tools. Thecontroller also presents real time video and sensor data to the operatorand allows for data to be saved for later analysis. The operator has theability to note and save the position of the device at any point toallow for easy re-inspection of facade areas. The controller is capableof automatically guiding the device to a saved position from any point.Saved locations are able to be indexed and browsed with a photo of thefacade area that is most easily observed from the corresponding positionrepresenting a device position. Data is from the housing to thecontroller through a wired connection to the housing or, in someembodiments, wirelessly.

In use, the invention is employed as described above.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A facade inspection and repair system comprising:a housing; an inspection tool operationally connected to the housing; aplurality of cables from which to suspend the housing; and a controlleroperationally connected to the cables; a first outrigger braceconfigured to cantilever out from an upper portion of a building,wherein the first outrigger brace comprises a first motorized cablespool and a first pulley disposed adjacent an end of the first outriggerbrace; and a second outrigger brace configured to cantilever out fromthe upper portion of the building, the second outrigger brace beingspaced apart from the first outrigger brace along the upper portion ofthe building, wherein the second outrigger brace comprises a secondmotorized cable spool and a second pulley disposed adjacent an end ofthe second outrigger brace, wherein: the plurality of cables comprise: afirst cable that is at least partially wound around the first motorizedcable spool and extends from the first motorized cable spool through thefirst pulley to the housing; a second cable that is at least partiallywound around the second motorized cable spool and extends from thesecond first motorized cable spool through the second pulley to thehousing; the controller is configured to: cause the first motorizedcable spool to release and retract the first cable; and cause the secondmotorized cable spool to release and retract the second cable; and thefirst motorized cable spool and the second motorized cable spool areconfigured to cooperate to adjust a position of the housing in a planethat is parallel to the facade of the building and offset from thefaçade of the building by a distance defined by a distance between thefacade of the building and the first and second pulleys.
 2. The facadeinspection system of claim 1, further comprising a third motorized cablespool disposed in a fixed position adjacent a ground in front of thebuilding; and a third cable that is at least partially wound around thethird motorized cable spool and extends from the third motorized cablespool to the housing.
 3. The facade inspection system of claim 2,further comprising a fourth motorized cable spool disposed in a secondfixed position adjacent the ground in front of the building; and afourth cable that is at least partially wound around the fourthmotorized cable spool and extends from the fourth motorized cable spoolto the housing.
 4. The façade inspection system of claim 1, wherein thehousing comprises one or more propellers configured to adjust a positionof the housing relative to the facade of the building.
 5. The façadeinspection system of claim 1, further comprising at least one additionaltool disposed adjacent the housing.
 6. The façade inspection system ofclaim 5, wherein the at least one additional tool is configured to applygrout on the façade.
 7. The façade inspection system of claim 5, whereinthe at least one additional tool is configured apply material to thefacade.
 8. The façade inspection system of claim 7, wherein the at leastone additional tool is configured to apply the material between twoelements of the façade.
 9. The façade inspection system of claim 8,wherein each of the two elements comprise a brick.
 10. A facadeinspection system comprising: a housing; an inspection tooloperationally connected to the housing; a plurality of cables from whichto suspend the housing; and a controller operationally connected to thecables, wherein: the façade inspection system further comprises: a firstoutrigger brace configured to cantilever out from an upper portion of abuilding, wherein the first outrigger brace comprises a first motorizedcable spool and a first pulley disposed adjacent an end of the firstoutrigger brace; and a second outrigger brace configured to cantileverout from the upper portion of the building, the second outrigger bracebeing spaced apart from the first outrigger brace along the upperportion of the building, wherein the second outrigger brace comprises asecond motorized cable spool and a second pulley disposed adjacent anend of the second outrigger brace; and the plurality of cables comprise:a first cable that is at least partially wound around the firstmotorized cable spool and extends from the first motorized cable spoolthrough the first pulley to the housing; a second cable that is at leastpartially wound around the second motorized cable spool and extends fromsecond first motorized cable spool through the second pulley to thehousing; the controller is configured to: cause the first motorizedcable spool to release and retract the first cable; and cause the secondmotorized cable spool to release and retract the second cable; the firstmotorized cable spool and the second motorized cable spool areconfigured to cooperate to adjust a position of the housing in a planethat is parallel to the façade of the building and offset from thefaçade of the building by a distance defined by a distance between thefaçade of the building and the first and second pulleys.
 11. The façadeinspection system of claim 10, wherein: the façade inspection systemfurther comprises a safety shed disposed adjacent a ground in front of afaçade of the building and comprising: a rectangular frame; a roofdisposed adjacent an upper portion of the rectangular frame; a thirdmotorized cable spool disposed on the roof; and at least one wheel; andthe plurality of cables further comprise a third cable that is at leastpartially wound around the third motorized cable spool and extends fromthe third motorized cable spool to the housing.
 12. The façadeinspection system of claim 11, wherein the first cable, the secondcable, and the third cable are configured cooperate to maintain thehousing a fixed distance from the façade.
 13. The façade inspectionsystem of claim 11, wherein the third cable is configured to remain intension between the housing and the third motorized cable spool.
 14. Thefaçade inspection system of claim 11, wherein the shed is configured toroll on the at least one wheel along the ground in front of the façadeof the building.
 15. The façade inspection system of claim 14, whereinthe controller is configured to cause the shed to maintain a positionthat is directly beneath the housing such that the shed is disposedbetween the housing and the ground as the housing moves within theplane.
 16. The façade inspection system of claim 10, wherein the housingcomprises one or more propellers.
 17. The façade inspection system ofclaim 16, wherein the one or more propellers are configured to adjust arelative position of the housing relative to the façade of the building.18. The façade inspection system of claim 17, wherein the housingcomprises a quadcopter.
 19. The façade inspection system of claim 18,wherein the first motorized cable spool and the second motorized cablespool are configured to slacken the first cable and the second cable toallow for free movement of the housing through operation of thequadcopter.